the freaks came out in force

last night. whew, it was so wild i thought there must be a full moon. but no. it seemed like i got the gems and i let them get me. i've been listening to some tapes that talk about how if we think problems exist outside of us, that is the problem (steven covey, 7 habits--thought it was time i took a refresher course). so, with that in mind, i've set about being proactive (more than usual, which may be deemed outright aggressive), and watching my language. not using the language of defeatists or victims, but rather, empowered languge.

then, i get some customers and empower them. grrr. i know, it's the same old song. but i am always amazed at how people want everything NOW. i appreciate that we're in the coffee business, but coffee pots are not bottomless, and if you want it fresh, you may have to let me brew it for you. i swear, people will turn down a 24 minute pot of coffee and balk at having to wait for a new pot. whatever. it's really no sweat off my back except that this tends to happen when there are groups of people involved.

this happens because we brew small batches, to ensure freshness. well, those small batches run out faster than larger batches (really? yes). so if you stand in the lobby and talk for 20 minutes, then get behind the customer who orders the full pot of coffee, why am i to blame for that? any 20 of those minutes before you could have had your damn cup of coffee immediately. that you waited to order when there was a line, then frown disapprovingly at me for running out, it is not my problem.

but i got frustrated. and was so over these people. so i wished for some of my favorite regular customers to come in and make me smile. these are the people who realize it is not a perfect world and we are doing the best we can. in talking with a regular i realized maybe i'd called all these freaks to myself to challenge my new thought patterns (which were as firmly established as jello). and that realization came late, late, late. i wished i'd realized it earlier. but i just needed to vent, apparently still do.

it really is not the end of the world to have to wait three minutes for a cup of piping hot coffee (because that is what people want, piping hot coffee. and the brewed coffee people are the worst. my take is because the espresso people are used to waiting on a hand crafted beverage. coffee pot people are used to drinking the dregs of a pot sitting there for hours at home, so when they come in they want the top off a fresh pot.

i even had one man say, of a brewing pot,

i want that pot.

buying my entire NEXT pot, before it had finished brewing when the brewers were taken by other coffees brewing, and thereby extinguishing my entire coffee reserve, because these things are all on timers. what do i say to that? no you can't have what you want?

no, but the next guy, who invariably wants coffeee, because you see, when one jackass pulls that shit, the next douche in line pulls some similar shit. until i have them all either storming out or standing there watching me brew coffee.

it doesn't brew faster with customers standing in front of the registers watching. in fact, it ties up the whole production because they block the line and, well, i could go on forever, but these are the things that get me. and i am so over the brewed coffee thing.

i brewed several pots no one bought, this is how it works, if i brew a large pot, which i usually do mid-back up. no one buys it. but if i brew a smaller pot, because i just dumped the pot which no one bought, everyoneandtheirfuckingmother will come in for coffee at just that moment.

sigh. it's just coffee. but i guess that's the wrong attitude. and if i think the problem exists outside myself, that is the problem. or so covey would say.

it's a delicate balance, and i'm trying to find some way that works. essentially, i have to stand in front of the coffee pots and keep brewing them nonstop all night (yeah, like that is even possible).

i would just like a little compassion and patience. some of our customers are great, and don't balk or give us shit. we try, sincerely to never have them wait. but sometimes they do. i've just said why. it would just be nice if people didn't act like their coffee was the only thing that mattered. i understand it does, but when i'm trying to keep all the balls in the air (which involves more than brewing coffee) and one falls to the ground, i'd just like someone to kindly give me a moment to pick it up.

but i may be asking too much. not sure.

when i require of myself not to drop a ball, that doesn't work out either. not sure what the middle ground of this is.